of the image of God. We have been called to aspire after an exaltation to the nature and felicity of God, set before mortal eyes in the man Jesus Christ, to fire us with the noblest ambition. His gospel teaches us that we are made for eternity, and that our present life is to our after existence, what childhood is to man's estate. But as in childhood many things are to be learned, many hardships to be endured, many habits to be acquired, and that by a tedious course of exercises, which in themselves though painful, and it may be useless to the child, yet are necessary to fit him forthe business and enjoyments of manhood: just so, while we remain in this infancy of human life, things are to be learned, hardships to be endured, and habits to be acquired, by a laborious course of discipline, which, however painful, must cheerfully be undergone, because necessary to fit us for the employments and pleasures of our riper existence above. Our Father, ever mindful of us, has sent down Jesus, the express image of his own person, to initiate us into, and carry us through this course of education for eternity. Inflamed therefore with the love of immortality and its joys, let us submit ourselves to our heavenly Teacher, and learn of him those graces which alone can make life pleasant, death desirable, and fill eternity with ecstatic joys. A TABLE |